Kindergarten, Week 18

     Week 18 has come and gone and according to our curriculum, we are half-way through our first year of homeschooling and half-way through Kindergarten.  My, how time flies!

     Our week was jammed-packed.  With Classical Conversations, then a Christmas party planning meeting for me, a play-date for my daughter, then my birthday, plus having to help out with a science project; needless to say it was all a blur.

      Let's start with Classical Conversations.  Every week the kids are to prepare a presentation for their group.  This week my daughter shared her experience at Pitfire Pizza (where one of my step-daughters is the GM).  As I mentioned in my last post, there is a pizza making event every week.  On one of those occasions, I snapped pictures of my Little Toughie during the pizza making process.  I loaded them onto my tablet and she shared the pictures, telling the group what she was doing in each one.  The group thought it was pretty cool.  I enjoy that fact that the children get to practice their speaking and presentation skills at a young age and as they continue to do this they will hone those skills.  By the time they reach high school, they'll be able to present anything with eloquence.  I can only imagine how that will permeate their higher education and later, their careers.

     We had a play-date where my aptly named Little Toughie showed she could hang with the boys.  She was playing with twin boys and while running she was tagged just a bit too hard.  She fell, using her nose as a brake. (Gah!)  Her nose was scraped (Pretty good!) but there were only a few tears before she was ready to go again.  I even observed her standing up for one of the twins when another boy at the playground starting calling him a "little girl".  Ever the diplomat, I saw my daughter take her friend by the hand and approach the offender.  I couldn't tell what was being said, but since my daughter is always very animated when she speaks, I could tell that boy was getting a good talking to!  Later, I asked her what she was saying and she said, "I was telling him that it's not nice to say things like that, but he wouldn't listen."  I pray she will always stand up and speak up for herself and for those who can't.

     The rest of the week was filled with a meeting and my birthday plus a science project for my son.  As I type this, I'm waiting for him to get back so that we can finish working on it.  My kids were so excited it was my birthday (I think it was the fact we were all going to have cake, including myself!) and were telling everyone who would listen.  I was getting birthday wishes from people passing out samples at Whole Foods!

     That was our week.  As we head into Thanksgiving, I pray that you are surrounded by loved ones and take a moment (or a few) to count your blessings and share what you are thankful for.

Homeschooling, Weeks 16 and 17

     I missed a week!  I can't believe I did, yet I can understand why.  The days are passing quickly and the weeks are flying by.  My birthday is coming up and then Thanksgiving is exactly a week after.  Between both kids, as most parents know, there's more to do (on top of what is already scheduled) around the holidays.  As a runner turned CrossFitter, I know how to pace myself in all things, but it can still be a lot.  At the beginning of October, all our weekends in November and December were already booked!

      Despite the busyness of this time of the year, we take our time when it comes to homeschooling.  With the Sonlight Curriculum I'm using, there's a lot of reading (which my daughter and I LOVE) and I want to make sure she understands everything she's listening to.  At the same time I don't stress out if she doesn't get a particular concept immediately.  It takes time for things to really sink in and for everything to make sense.  Sometimes, we parents can freak out, especially when we fall into the trap of comparing our kids to other kids.  That can rub off on our kids as well.

     Recently, my daughter caught something at the end of the news (she walked in when it was on) about a 5-year old boy who knew all the countries in the world.  Yes, ALL.  Every single country.  Did I mention that he knew all the capitals as well?  My daughter was amazed and at the same time disappointed with herself for not knowing all the countries.  I had to remind her, and you as well, that we are all blessed with different talents and skills.  I took the opportunity to tell my daughter that God created each and every one of us for a different purpose, with a different set of abilities, and different personalities and that if we were all the same it would get particularly boring.  She was happy to know that God made her special.

     During those times I don't think it's sinking in or that it may be too much, God gives me a glimpse of the work He's doing in her.  This week we finished our Bible study on the Kings (Saul, David and Solomon).  That was a lot of reading and there were different details to the each King's story.  I secretly underestimated her comprehension when she decided to create her own bible and draw pictures to go with each King's story.  She was able to retell the stories, which she so carefully did while on her daddy's lap.

     On the flip side, we squeezed in some fun the past couple of weeks making pizza at my step-daughter's restaurant, Pitfire Pizza (she's the head honcho there).  Every Tuesday she holds a pizza making event and we brought a couple of friends with us.

  

     This was a perfect outing for us because we got to see my step-daughter (and all her gracious and patient staff) and she got to make pizza plus share a meal with her friends.

     Ah, the simple things!

Homeschooling, Week 15

     We're back!  Since our Classical Conversations class had a break we decided to take the week off as well.  We still did some reading and copy work (and math at the request of my Little Toughie) but we took a break and instead enjoyed diving into non-homeschooling books.  I even had a chance to catch up on a little bit of my own reading.

     Week 15 led us to the story of David and Goliath in our Bible Study.  This is one of my daughter's favorite stories, but she has never learned what happened after that.  While that is one of the more well known stories of David, my daughter was surprised to hear that he had become a king and that he wrote a lot of the Psalms.

     As we start Week 16, she'll learn more about David's love for God and his obedience (and disobedience) to Him.  She'll learn how forgiving and just our Father is.  She always asks intriguing questions as I'm reading these Bible stories to her and I pray she keeps them in mind as she gets older and encounters her own "Goliath".

     That's all I have for this week.  I know it's not much.  We're just getting back into the groove of things after taking a week off.  My daughter is starting to read more, taking in words every where we go and telling me what they are.  She's even writing me little love notes, trying her very best to spell the words without my help.  It's great to see the progress she's making each day.

     Have a great week!

Homeschooling, Week 11

     I can't believe it's almost October!  Autumn is in the air and the leaves are starting their slow descent to blanket our grass.  This is my favorite time of the year.  Pumpkin flavored or filled delicacies are displayed in every store, even bath shops (they smell practically edible)!  My daughter and I even made Paleo pumpkin custards.  I made Paleo Pumpkin Butter to make Paleo Pumpkin Lattes (there's no coffee, but it's a wonderful Autumn drink to relax to).  Oh, I could digress and wax poetic about pumpkin (and persimmons), but I won't.

     Week 11 was fantastic!  I suppose not being sick was a huge help.  We learned about the Crusades and mammals.  We even learned about parts of the food chain.  My favorite part though was when my daughter once again took it upon herself to do some work without being asked.  I usually have a form ready for her to work on for the Science part of Classical Conversations.  She decided to take a blank piece of paper and make the form and then fill it out.

     Pretty, isn't it?  She didn't label her pictures accordingly, which is what the form would have asked her to do.  Instead she just asked me how to spell the words so that she could put it on her sheet.  When she was done she did point to each word and its matching picture.

     My son is doing well also.  I may not be homeschooling him, but oddly, I'm able to blend a little bit of our homeschool curriculum with the work my son is doing in middle school.  In History, for example, both kids are studying Ancient Civilizations.  Also, my son is currently taking Spanish and is taking the time to teach his little sister.  My daughter listens in when I'm quizzing my son on his weekly vocabulary words and helps her big brother remember their meanings.  I love how they support each other.

     That was our week.  We've definitely found our rhythm and I'm learning what we each can handle.  Much like the runner in me, (runner turned CrossFitter, that is) I'm pacing myself.  I'm learning what I can and cannot do and that I cannot do it all.  I'm finding a way to balance it all and sometimes it means saying no or delegating more.  In the end, I want to make sure that my kids not just learn, but enjoy learning and sharing what they learn.

Homeschooling, Week 10

     Week 10 moved at a snail's pace.  (Ironically, in my last post I said every week passes quickly!)  This week was slow because both my daughter and I had a cold.  My daughter was feeling a bit under the weather Monday afternoon and when we got home from the park, she passed on lunch and slept.  The next day I awoke with a sore throat and immediately knew I was coming down with something.  I was able to go through school work on Tuesday, but come Wednesday I had no voice and my head was throbbing.  We took that day "off".  I gave her history and science copywork and called it a day.  We took Saturday morning to go over the day that we missed and now we're back on track.

     As I mentioned in my last post our Classical Conversations community began meeting.  When we had the opportunity to enroll our daughter midway early Spring, I was immediately hooked on how the kids were learning, what they were learning and the fact it had plenty of parent participation.  It is what opened the idea of me homeschooling my daughter.  I can't imagine it any other way.

     This was our second week of CC.  In Classical Conversations the kids learn what is referred to as a Timeline; points and people in history from Creation to Modern Times.  By the end of the CC year the kids will have memorized 161 events and people in chronological order.  There are fact cards that go along with each event or person listed on the Timeline.  The cards go into more detail about that occurrence or person.  Last CC year I purchased the fact cards but didn't really use them since we started so late.  This year I didn't buy any new cards because I thought we already had all of them.  Unfortunately,  much to my daughter's disappointment, I learned that I did not have the current cards and had yet to purchase them.  She wanted to practice putting the cards in order, as we do when our community meets.

     Since my daughter was so eager to work with them she decided to make her own.  They're like those fact cards of the U.S. Presidents that you see; with the picture and name on the front and the details on the back.  She wrote the name of the event and drew pictures to go along with it.  She made 14 cards because that is how many events we have covered to date.

     That very first card you see at the bottom is one for "Age of Ancient Empires" and she drew a Sphinx, which she remembered is on that particular fact card.  The next one is "Creation and The Fall".  She chose to draw Adam and Eve at the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

     I was delighted to see her take initiative and make her own cards.  To me it's a sign that she is enjoying what she's learning and is seeking more.  Plus, I get to see what she comes up with for each card.  I mean, what would you draw for "Babylonians"?

     I've ordered the cards and they're on their way.  While I know she wouldn't mind creating all the cards herself (and she still might do so) and this is a great way to reinforce what she's learning, we'll need the cards for when she gets older and the details on the back become more significant.

     That is our week.  We're starting Week 11, cold-free (mostly) and ready for Autumn!

Homeschooling, Week 8

     This week was uneventful yet busy.  Well, I say uneventful but we had one big event:  my son started Middle School (gasp).  I have a Middle Schooler.  Goodness!  I'm very proud of the work he's done.  While there is still more to go, he's making progress; slowly but surely.  We're praying that this school and school year is a good and safe one for him.

     This was my daughter's first week of homeschooling without her brother.  I have to say she handled it very well.  Since The Principal took the day off, he was my assistant during class.  He oversaw recess and even participated in art class.  Here she is using acrylics.

     Soon we're going to play with pastels.  During the webinars I received an e-book on using pastels with kids.  I've never used them, so I'm excited at the prospect.

     Other than that, we're moving along with our curriculum.  She's enjoying all of it, though she likes it most when I read to her during our Bible studies or story time.  She asks intriguing questions and I love how her imagination comes out in those questions.  We were talking about Machu Picchu and how high it was.  She asked if it was as high as a giant!  I explained that giants aren't real, so there's no way for me to know.  I pointed out that if she were to compare the tallest building she's ever seen to Machu Picchu, the mountains would be taller than that.  She seemed satisfied with that answer.  I hope she always, much like me, asks questions.  Not that I question everything.  I just like to learn.

     Next week we start our Classical Conversations class (I'm so excited!).  I get to share that experience with you as well.  Until then, have a wonderful weekend!

Homeschooling, Week 7

     We are back on track after taking last week off in order for me to attend the webinars.  Our week started with a doctor's appointment for my Little Toughie which happened to also land on the last meeting of our book club discussion of The Core.  Unfortunately, I missed out on all the wonderful insights I know the other parents had to share.  Bummer.

     One of the last chapters covered was Fine Arts, which was probably my favorite subject all throughout my education.  One of the questions I posed to our book club participants was how do they incorporate drama into their curriculum?  It's fairly easy to do drawing and painting and even music classes, but to me drama can be a bit harder or something we ignore.

     My daughter takes acting classes.  From the moment she could speak she would put on shows for us.  Whether it is singing or dancing or a fashion show...she has always loved performing.  When the opportunity came up for her to take classes (thanks Groupon!) we chose to give it a chance.  She loved it.  Moreover, her instructor said she was a natural and after only 16 classes her teacher said that my daughter was ready for a show.

     Why am I telling you all this?  Because my daughter is the one who came up with how to incorporate drama into our curriculum.  We had just finished reading My Father's Dragon (a lovely story) and I could hear my kids discussing the book.  My daughter told her brother that she wanted to pretend to be the dragon and that he should be the father.  A light bulb went off and I suggested that they pick their favorite chapters out of the book and act them out for me.

     Not only would they have to recall the what was said in the story, but they would have to remember the circumstances and figure out (with our limited supplies) costumes and settings.
    
     My daughter took charge and began rummaging through her dress-up box for whatever they could use for costumes and props.  She recalled much of the story and gave her brother his lines.  Then it was time for the show.  I wish I had recorded their performance, but I wanted them to feel relaxed and have fun.  It was a delight to watch and to see just how much they remembered from the earlier chapters of the book.

     So, that's just one way to incorporate drama into your curriculum.  I've read other homeschooling blogs from parents with older kids that would act out moments in history, bedecked in period costumes and with painted backgrounds, all in front of an audience.

     I can't wait to do that!

Homeschooling, Week 6

 

     This week was all over the place.  Some days I was slow to get around (I was getting over a sore throat).  Other days the kids would get around at a snail's pace (they were being lazy).  In the end, we slowly made our way through our lessons and ended up getting excited about the things we were learning.

     Remember last week when I showed you my son's copywork?  This week I wanted to share with you my daughter's copywork.  Now, I don't always set up her copywork this way but I wanted to try it this week after finding these cool dry erase pockets at The Container Store.
   
     I liken being in The Container Store to how a child must feel at Toys R Us, "Oooh, I want that and that and that.  Oh, and can I have that?"  We have a very strict budget that keeps us me from buying everything I think we I need.  (Side note:  we use Dave Ramsey's approach to our budget.  Works great!)

     Anyway, the pockets were at our local store and came 5 to a pack for $12.99 (I think.  It may have been a couple of dollars less, but no more than $12.99)  Other parents also use page protector sheets or have blank lined sheets laminated for repeated use.  Basically there are a few options out there.  I've used both of those options.  I even carry laminated blank sheets in my homeschool binder just in case we're out and about and I forget to restock the paper supply!

      Below is the C-line pocket ready for my Little Toughie to use:

     Here she is using a low odor, non-toxic, wet erase markers:

     Here is her finished copywork:

     And, viola!  I wipe it down and it's ready for her to use again:

     At the end of the week I pulled the sheet out and let her write directly on it.  The downside of any dry erase work is the tendency for my kids to get it all over their hands and then every where else.  This may be something that I use more for Geography instead.  They're thicker than page protector sheets but not as convenient since they don't fit into my binder well.  A smaller, stitched edge one with 3-ring holes would be perfect but it seems I'll have to wait until they get that into production.

     On that note, I bid you adieu!  Have a wonderful weekend.

Get Outside!

     We have recess everyday.  Everyday.  Now, I say it's recess but really it's the P.E. part of our curriculum.  I think recess sounds more fun!  The kids get outside and I either play with them or workout (or try to check something off of my never-ending mommy/teacher to do list).

     I recently happened upon Mama's Like Me and her post about Fun Water Games.  I loved her ideas and found the Sponge Bullseye was one that I could immediately set up (we were just about to head outside).

     My daughter got a kick out of it.

     Please excuse the other chalk mark scribbles.  Our driveway, along with the sidewalk in front of our house, is filled with chalk art.  I recently drew a giant ant that said, "Feed Me!"  The kids on our block think it's funny.

     Anyway, as you can see I used 1, 2 and 3 as points so that my Little Toughie could add up her score for three tosses.  As I was practicing cleans I watched her play and listened to her as she added up her points.  The most she got was an 8.

     What I was most pleased about was the fact that unbeknownst to her, she was doing math work!

     Never stop playing and never stop learning.

Homeschooling, Week 5

     This week started a little rough but ended quite nicely.  On Monday my Little Toughie had an appointment with her Urologist (whom she sees every 6 months) and there were many tests given.  Nothing unusual.  The appointment was much longer than I had expected (Three hours!) and then the doctor told us that she was severely constipated and needed to be completely cleaned out.  Without going into too many details, she had to go through a regimen quite similar to what an adult has to endure prior to a colonoscopy.  It was painful for her.  She's okay, now.  That was the rough bit.

     The rest of the week went smoothly.  Sort of.  Both kids had to report to the Principal this week for goofing off in the classroom.  He set them straight.  There were a few interruptions as well, like my daughter coming up to me during my prep time and wanting to make a banjo because apparently everyone needs a banjo!  It was a nice break and I didn't mind getting creative.

     We're 5 weeks in and I'm slowly building more into our curriculum.  Not a whole lot.  I'm just trying to reinforce some of the things we're studying.  For example, the Presidents.  If you ask either one of my kids to list all the Presidents by last name, they can and will (They'll either sing it or say it, depending on their mood.)  To reinforce this for my son, his copy work includes writing the Presidents' full names as well as the continents, since we're studying them in Geography.

What I wrote for my son to copy

His completed copy work

     If you've read The Core, you already know the importance of copy work.  For my son it's especially helpful.  He struggles with keeping his letters neat, straight and the same height.  It's because of his syndrome that he struggles with this.

     When he was first diagnosed we watched a video on Williams Syndrome and I remember they showed a girl, roughly as old as my son is now, and she was asked to name the parts of a bicycle, from the wheels to the seat to the handle bars, etc.  They girl could do it perfectly, no problem.  However, when asked to draw that bicycle, most of the parts were in the wrong place.  It was fascinating (and heartbreaking) to see how her mind just couldn't put it together.

     Now, my son is a big fan of cursive writing and we thank God that he can do it.  I wanted him to go back to printing first, to perfect that before completing his work for me in cursive.  As you can see in the work above, he's coming along very well.  There are days when he's in too much of a rush and I ask him to write it again.  He's not a fan of that, but he does it and understands that I expect him to do his best and that I know when he's not putting that forth.  My husband recently remarked on how much our son's printing has improved, so I know it's working.

     Our week ended with a trip to the Getty Villa.  Our first field trip of the year!  I'll have a follow up post on our excursion later on in the week.

     Enjoy your weekend!

Homeschooling, Week Three

     This week flew by quickly.  So much so, that I jumped ahead of myself and did an extra reading from Day 4 of our week when we were clearly on Day 3.  Oops!  The kids didn't seem to mind.  They enjoyed wrapping up our lessons about Ancient Egypt and finishing learning about the weather.

     We moved on to Ancient Greece this week and when I mentioned Athens the kids excitedly yelped, "Hey, that's where Paul is from!"  Paul is my favorite disciple and he happened to be the focus of Vacation Bible School for my kids this year.  It was awesome to see them make the connection.

     Our study on the weather ended with making a windsock and a weather vane.  Below are my little students hard at work.

     I love homeschooling.  I was unsure of how it was going to be, but I'm enjoying seeing the kids pick up on the details of what we're learning.  I'm enjoying discussing whatever it is we're learning, whether it's our Bible study, Geography or Math.  If I had to pick a favorite, I would say that I get a kick out of creative writing.  (I guess that's no surprise given this blog.)  This week my daughter had to make up a story based on a picture.  (The picture showed a boy sitting with a simple robot.)  Below is what she dictated to me while looking at the picture:

     Isn't that a great story?  My son was completing reading comprehension work at this time and I was happy to see that he got all the answers right without my help.

     I know this is just the beginning, but I have the feeling that as we move along, even if we hit a few bumps, this experience will strengthen our faith, our family and our minds!

Homeschooling, Week Two

     This week was even better than last!  Aside from a little excitement early in the week, we had fun learning about Ancient Egypt as well as the different components of the weather.  The kids are getting into the routine and are even grabbing books off the homeschool shelf before I'm ready to start.  Talk about eager!  I pray that they are always that enthusiastic about learning.

     We've implemented a couple of new things into our schedule.  We now start with the Pledge of Allegiance (we even have a flag) and then begin our prayer time.  Our prayers are more organized now so that the kids give more thought to who and/or what they are praying for.  At first, we were a bit all over the place.  I remembered our pastor encouraging us to designate a different day of the week to pray for something/someone specific.  I found this schedule online and I like that it coincided with the first letter of the day, so I went with it.  (It helps my daughter memorize the days of the week as well.  Bonus!)  It may change a bit as we find our footing, but I thought this was a great start:

• Mondays:  Missionaries
• Tuesdays:  Teachers (including therapists, coaches, church teachers)
• Wednesday:  Wisdom to witness (I tell my kids that most people don't read the bible, they read the Christian.)
• Thursday:  Those in authority (from local government and on, as well as our military and civil service members and those in the medical field who we seek for treatment.)
• Friday:  Family and friends (though we pray for them everyday, these prayers are more specific)
• Saturday:  Salvation (for those who are lost)
• Sunday:  The sick and suffering

     We started this schedule on a Thursday and I led the kids in prayer, giving them a moment to add to it before we closed.  When I told my daughter that it was "Family and Friends" prayer day, my daughter immediately wanted to pray for her good friend Connor, whom she misses dearly.  My kids always pray, thanks be to God.  Even at church I'm told by their teachers that they're always the first ones to raise their hands to volunteer to pray.  It's a lovely thing!

     My favorite part of this week was when during our Bible study discussion (somehow our discussion went from Isaac and Rebekah to heaven) my daughter asked, "When we go see Jesus will we need space suits?"  We had learned the different parts of the atmosphere and she remembered that in the exosphere, oxygen tanks and space suits are needed.  She needed clarification.

     My other favorite part (Can I have two favorite parts?) was when my son showed me his math work.  He's memorized his multiplication tables through 11x20.  Awesome!  My goal is to have him memorize all the way to 20x20, sooner than later.  He's doing great.  I may not be officially homeschooling him come September but that doesn't mean that I can't work with him now or even implement of few of the lessons I learned while reading The Core, even when he starts school. (Great book, by the way, and not as daunting as The Well-Trained Mind, which I will tackle one of these days.)

     We do copy work everyday but we ended this week with a fun one.  The kids had to write and send out an invitation.  Below is a picture of my Kindergartner at work:

Focused on copy work

     I'm in the process of getting a whiteboard to use, though I'm not sure if I want to get a tabletop one (for easy transport) or if I want to get one to hang on the wall.  (We've made very good use of our space at home, so finding a place to hang a whiteboard will be a little difficult.)  Or I might get both!  Maybe.

     That's it for this week!

Homeschooling, Week One

     Before I get down to the nitty gritty, let me first give you bit of insight into the title of this blog.  I had never imagined that I would be homeschooling.  Not even a little bit.  Even last Spring, when we knew that our son would be starting Middle School and my daughter would be a kindergartner, we thought about MOVING.  We laid out a plan as to when we would put our house up for sale and start looking around in the area we wanted the kids to be.  Homeschooling wasn't even a blip on my radar.

     I'm not even sure when exactly that changed.  We had the opportunity to enroll our daughter in a Classical Conversations class mid-year and the only reason why we chose to do so was because we felt that the preschool (which I referred to as play school) wasn't going to really prepare her for a Kindergarten schedule.  So, I guess after that God started to shine a light on things before me.

     My daughter, at 5, is not potty trained and is still in a diaper due to Cauda Equina Syndrome with Neurogenic Bladder.  In mommy terms:  she was born with a tethered spinal cord and there was nerve damage affecting her bladder.  We have to use a catheter every 4 hours (except overnight) to empty her bladder.  It also affects her bowels.  Either way, we didn't feel comfortable sending her to school this way.

     As the days passed and the decision about education for both of our kids approached, God made a clear path for both of my kids.  Our son got into a school we prayed about and the decision to homeschool our daughter was pressed strongly upon me.  We forged ahead and purchased the Sonlight curriculum.  It's been sitting in a box since April.  That is, until a couple of weeks ago when my daughter said she wanted to start homeschooling after Fourth of July.

     Hence, this is a wrap up of the first week.  I hope to share my experiences every week, along with the progress that she makes.  I'll also be sharing about our time with the Classical Conversations group which begins in September.

     The first day of Kindergarten began July 9, 2013.  Although the curriculum is geared toward my 5-year old my son can participate because I am able to adjust the work to his level.  Plus, I procured a couple of workbooks for him knowing that I'd start homeschooling before he begins school in September.

     Our day looks like this:

• We open with prayer and Bible study
• Reading (lots of reading) and discussion
• Language Arts (plenty of copy work, handwriting practice and creative expression)
• Recess (which means I get to either workout or fold laundry or do lunch/dinner prep or read)
• After recess is our Math time
• Lunch
• Science and Art
• We close with a book of their choice for me to read

     

     Our days wrap up between 2:00 and 2:30, though this first week they opted for a little break before choosing a book for me to read and they also wanted their dad to read one of their books in the evening, so it technically ended later.  That's the benefit, though, of homeschooling, it's on my time and when it works for us.  While my daughter chose to start early and it ended her summer break sooner, I rather like it since it means come the holidays, we can take a longer "break".  I put that in quotes because I may not be officially homeschooling during the break but there will still be plenty of reading and opportunities to teach.

     All in all this was a great first week of school.  We're planning on taking it to the library, beach and park.  I've told my daughter that once a month we can have a homeschool lunch date, where I bring the remaining part of her school day with us to a restaurant of her choice and we finish up the day with a nice meal.  I mentioned that when Winter arrives and we're stuck indoors that we can bring it to a cozy coffee shop where she can indulge in hot chocolate and I can sip tea.  I know most of the time we'll be at home, but I like having the different options.

     So does she.